I thought teen angst was supposed to die after you reached your 20s. Apparently I was wrong.
I found out today that my mom is more neurotic than I thought. Or does everyone have a neurotic mom?
I found out today that my parents would rather I spend New Year's completely alone than out being a normal girl in her mid-20's and socializing with friends. I feel like they don't trust me, that they feel like they completely fucked-up raising me in that apparently they've somehow given me a bad sense of judgment. Maybe they did, and that's why I don't have a lot of friends and that I keep picking bad men to get involved with.
What the hell did I do to them? I went to college, I have a good job that they like to brag about, I don't do drugs, I don't get into trouble. I'd like to think I'm a nice person, that I'm a positive contribution to society. What more do they want?
Why can't they trust me to go out and have a fun, safe time on New Year's?
What bothers me even more is that despite my best efforts, I don't have anywhere to go and no one to go with tonight. I turned down an invite with a girlfriend because I didn't want to freeze my butt off in Pasadena to wake up at God knows what hour to watch the Rose Parade live.
I'm almost tempted to be really immature and start making stuff up to scare them. Maybe I'll just not be as open with them anymore. I don't want to do that because I feel that open relationships are better, but it's like I tell them everything that's going on and they don't trust me anyway.
It's really not so bad that I'm spending New Year's alone, but it really hurts that I wanted to have a light-hearted, fun New Year's and my parents didn't want me to have that also because they're too busy being paranoid that something awful is going to happen to me when I'm with my friends, who are all for the most apart also educated nice people who contribute positively to society.
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label holidays. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Easter Sunday
I had a nice Easter.
My new fellow and I went up to Venice Beach to have brunch at The Sidewalk Cafe with a friend, her uncle, and one of her classmates. I had their Eggs Benedict brunch special; it came with Mimosa. The Eggs Benedict was delicious, although I would have preferred the Venice Potatoes to be more crispy to complement the hollandaise sauce better. Their coffee was also really good.
I realize my comment on the potatoes sounds really picky. I don't think I'm especially picky - on the contrary, but I do try to point out what the "ideal situation" would be. The meal was fine on its own, but I happen to prefer crispier potatoes, especially when your food is topped with something like hollandaise. My eating preferences are going to give me a heart attack one of these days, aren't they?
After brunch, we wandered North to the end of the Venice Boardwalk. There are some interesting people that hang out and peddle goods there. There were some guys sitting on a blanket with a cardboard sign: "Family Killed By Ninjas - Need Money For Karate Lessons". I was most impressed with the young juggler I saw - he couldn't have been older than 22.
Several peddlers were selling these spraypaint paintings. They would use spraypaint to create a background, and manipulate the paint to create neat landscapes. Some of the artists would attract quite the crowd, although I think some people would hang around more for the fumes than the show.
My new fellow and I went up to Venice Beach to have brunch at The Sidewalk Cafe with a friend, her uncle, and one of her classmates. I had their Eggs Benedict brunch special; it came with Mimosa. The Eggs Benedict was delicious, although I would have preferred the Venice Potatoes to be more crispy to complement the hollandaise sauce better. Their coffee was also really good.
I realize my comment on the potatoes sounds really picky. I don't think I'm especially picky - on the contrary, but I do try to point out what the "ideal situation" would be. The meal was fine on its own, but I happen to prefer crispier potatoes, especially when your food is topped with something like hollandaise. My eating preferences are going to give me a heart attack one of these days, aren't they?
After brunch, we wandered North to the end of the Venice Boardwalk. There are some interesting people that hang out and peddle goods there. There were some guys sitting on a blanket with a cardboard sign: "Family Killed By Ninjas - Need Money For Karate Lessons". I was most impressed with the young juggler I saw - he couldn't have been older than 22.
Several peddlers were selling these spraypaint paintings. They would use spraypaint to create a background, and manipulate the paint to create neat landscapes. Some of the artists would attract quite the crowd, although I think some people would hang around more for the fumes than the show.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
On Building a Stronger Relationship Through Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day sucks. Permanently. This website (which wasn't working when I checked it tonight) has some great images. I used to have some, somewhere, but I don't know where they are. Stuff like a cute stuffed puppy holding a stuffed heart (as if to give it) with the word 'slut' on it. Stuff that embittered singles can appreciate.
Anyway, without getting into detail, my boyfriend and I had a disagreement on what we were going to do for Valentine's Day and things that we do in general.
Guess what? We talked it out, and even though we didn't solve the problem so either of us were completely happy, we were able to realize our differences, know that we both have things to work on if we want the relationship to work, and be OK with all of that. I can even mention the fact that we learned something about the other person tonight and that having this discussion tonight hopefully saves us from having the discussion (when it could be more damaging) later.
Yes, it caused me stress, and yes, I'm losing sleep typing about it as you read, but I'm really happy that I'm in a relationship where I can talk things through and know that if there's a problem with the relationship that we both are actively participating in fixing the problem. Is this what a healthy relationship is like? I've been in so many unhealthy relationships, dealt with too many psycho guys when I didn't have to, that I have no idea what a healthy relationship looks like. While I love my parents, I can't even look at their relationship for an example of a healthy one.
I know that I'm not getting the sweep-me-off-my-feet, millions of roses, candlelight dinner-for-two at a swanky place tomorrow night. But I can look forward to being surprised in a different way. I don't even think most women want the dreamy Valentine's extravaganza. I think women want to be acknowledged in a more tangible way than they are acknowledged during other parts of the year, and that the attempt is worth more than if the attempt is successful or not.
That's enough of my sage ramblings for the night. Now I'm going to take a shower and get some sleep.
Anyway, without getting into detail, my boyfriend and I had a disagreement on what we were going to do for Valentine's Day and things that we do in general.
Guess what? We talked it out, and even though we didn't solve the problem so either of us were completely happy, we were able to realize our differences, know that we both have things to work on if we want the relationship to work, and be OK with all of that. I can even mention the fact that we learned something about the other person tonight and that having this discussion tonight hopefully saves us from having the discussion (when it could be more damaging) later.
Yes, it caused me stress, and yes, I'm losing sleep typing about it as you read, but I'm really happy that I'm in a relationship where I can talk things through and know that if there's a problem with the relationship that we both are actively participating in fixing the problem. Is this what a healthy relationship is like? I've been in so many unhealthy relationships, dealt with too many psycho guys when I didn't have to, that I have no idea what a healthy relationship looks like. While I love my parents, I can't even look at their relationship for an example of a healthy one.
I know that I'm not getting the sweep-me-off-my-feet, millions of roses, candlelight dinner-for-two at a swanky place tomorrow night. But I can look forward to being surprised in a different way. I don't even think most women want the dreamy Valentine's extravaganza. I think women want to be acknowledged in a more tangible way than they are acknowledged during other parts of the year, and that the attempt is worth more than if the attempt is successful or not.
That's enough of my sage ramblings for the night. Now I'm going to take a shower and get some sleep.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Happy New Year! (And a Movie Review!)
Being unplugged from the internet can be great every once in a while. I'm still too lazy to have internet set up at my apartment yet, and so while Saddam was getting himself hanged I was busy trying to enjoy my seven days of paid holiday while trying to find a nice way to get my parents to go home.
That sounds terrible, doesn't it?
I love my parents. I enjoy spending time with them. But a few days is enough. They stayed from the Thursday before Christmas to the day before New Year's. How was I supposed to get anything done? I had no time or space to myself really. By the time they left I had enough time to decompress slightly before work started up again, and no time to do any of the things I needed to get done.
I should be thankful I have parents who want to visit their daughter in a strange city and unintentionally drive her crazy, causing her to visit the gym at 4:00 AM because she can't sleep.
I went to a coworker's New Year's party, which ended up being my friend, his wife, one of their friends, and myself. We played a couple games of Scrabble and drank lots of champange and sparkling wine. The first game of Scrabble I did poorly, but we were on our third bottle of wine when I won the second game so I think the alcohol did something to my creativity levels (everyone else was playing the same). I was putting down words like "fairy" and "vixen". Usually when I play Scrabble I have a hard time coming up with something beyond "it" and "an".
I went to The Good Shepherd yesterday. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't the movie it should have been. Then again, I went to the movie expecting it to be disappointing.
I didn't learn anything more about spying than I already knew, so the movie was uneducational. I picked up the code lines before the "knowing looks" that would act as the giveaway. It was fairly cliche, however, especially the tailor. (At the time and place it must have been brilliant) Matt Damon plays his role fairly flat (and coldly I might add), and the viewer can figure out what he's going to do before he does it. His character's predictability was more frustrating than anything else I found "wrong" with the film. I expect that CIA agents at least attempt to be good spouses, even when work does eat up time and energy. There was no sense of sacrifice (except that he didn't get to be with the woman he truly loved, but he does get to meet her later in life and have sex with her, which is the silver screen equivalent).
I was pleasantly surprised with Angelina Jolie in this film. While I already enjoy watching her act, I assumed she would always be one of those "personality actors" who you watch because you want to see them do something they're famous for. Jack Nicholson and Jim Carrey are two good examples. In The Good Shepherd you see her play a coy, brazen (if naive) socialite who marries Damon's character Edward and becomes, through his neglect of the relationship, a broken-hearted, lonely housewife. She was amazing to watch, especially in the scene when she discovers Edward was unfaithful. (What geeky idiot would dare cheat on Angelina Jolie?) I sense her character was more upset over Edward not telling her about the infidelity rather than the infidelity itself.
Overall I would say the movie is OK. Rent it, or go see it in the theater if you must, but I'd like to think there are better spy and espionage movies out there.
That sounds terrible, doesn't it?
I love my parents. I enjoy spending time with them. But a few days is enough. They stayed from the Thursday before Christmas to the day before New Year's. How was I supposed to get anything done? I had no time or space to myself really. By the time they left I had enough time to decompress slightly before work started up again, and no time to do any of the things I needed to get done.
I should be thankful I have parents who want to visit their daughter in a strange city and unintentionally drive her crazy, causing her to visit the gym at 4:00 AM because she can't sleep.
I went to a coworker's New Year's party, which ended up being my friend, his wife, one of their friends, and myself. We played a couple games of Scrabble and drank lots of champange and sparkling wine. The first game of Scrabble I did poorly, but we were on our third bottle of wine when I won the second game so I think the alcohol did something to my creativity levels (everyone else was playing the same). I was putting down words like "fairy" and "vixen". Usually when I play Scrabble I have a hard time coming up with something beyond "it" and "an".
I went to The Good Shepherd yesterday. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't the movie it should have been. Then again, I went to the movie expecting it to be disappointing.
I didn't learn anything more about spying than I already knew, so the movie was uneducational. I picked up the code lines before the "knowing looks" that would act as the giveaway. It was fairly cliche, however, especially the tailor. (At the time and place it must have been brilliant) Matt Damon plays his role fairly flat (and coldly I might add), and the viewer can figure out what he's going to do before he does it. His character's predictability was more frustrating than anything else I found "wrong" with the film. I expect that CIA agents at least attempt to be good spouses, even when work does eat up time and energy. There was no sense of sacrifice (except that he didn't get to be with the woman he truly loved, but he does get to meet her later in life and have sex with her, which is the silver screen equivalent).
I was pleasantly surprised with Angelina Jolie in this film. While I already enjoy watching her act, I assumed she would always be one of those "personality actors" who you watch because you want to see them do something they're famous for. Jack Nicholson and Jim Carrey are two good examples. In The Good Shepherd you see her play a coy, brazen (if naive) socialite who marries Damon's character Edward and becomes, through his neglect of the relationship, a broken-hearted, lonely housewife. She was amazing to watch, especially in the scene when she discovers Edward was unfaithful. (What geeky idiot would dare cheat on Angelina Jolie?) I sense her character was more upset over Edward not telling her about the infidelity rather than the infidelity itself.
Overall I would say the movie is OK. Rent it, or go see it in the theater if you must, but I'd like to think there are better spy and espionage movies out there.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Mail-Order Pheasants & Roasting Pans
My parents are coming to visit me for the holidays. Well, just for Thanksgiving, and then they'll be back in a few weeks for Christmas.
Normally, I like spending the holidays with my parents. After all, they're family.
This year I'm terrified. This Thanksgiving will be the first time my parents will see my apartment, which is stressful enough on its own. Actually, Dad has always been accepting of my living arrangements, but Mom likes to nitpick. I think all moms like to nitpick about their offspring's apartments. I love my Mom, but her nitpicking stresses me out.
On top of parents-seeing-the-apartment-for-the-first-time stress, I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Dad even mail-ordered a pheasant that is getting UPS-ed to chez moi. As my downstairs neighbor suggests, I'll probably be the only woman in Los Angeles with a pheasant for Thanksgiving. I don't even have a roasting pan.
Not to mention my dad has more-than-average diet restrictions. I hate artificial sweeteners. Splenda is the sneaky one of the lot.
So this week will get devoted to making sure the apartment is presentable (and not just livable, which is its nominal state), and finding the necessary cooking supplies (none of which I have storage room for) for Thanksgiving next week.
Normally, I like spending the holidays with my parents. After all, they're family.
This year I'm terrified. This Thanksgiving will be the first time my parents will see my apartment, which is stressful enough on its own. Actually, Dad has always been accepting of my living arrangements, but Mom likes to nitpick. I think all moms like to nitpick about their offspring's apartments. I love my Mom, but her nitpicking stresses me out.
On top of parents-seeing-the-apartment-for-the-first-time stress, I'm hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Dad even mail-ordered a pheasant that is getting UPS-ed to chez moi. As my downstairs neighbor suggests, I'll probably be the only woman in Los Angeles with a pheasant for Thanksgiving. I don't even have a roasting pan.
Not to mention my dad has more-than-average diet restrictions. I hate artificial sweeteners. Splenda is the sneaky one of the lot.
So this week will get devoted to making sure the apartment is presentable (and not just livable, which is its nominal state), and finding the necessary cooking supplies (none of which I have storage room for) for Thanksgiving next week.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Don't Call Me
I did go out last night to the KC, and had a blast. I dressed up as a Catholic school girl (Obviously. And when I got to the party I rolled up my sleeves so I didn't look like a complete nerd).
Other than the fact someone ripped the buttons right off my Merc jacket and stole my wallet, my cell phone, and even the lipstick/lipgloss I was carrying with me. Thank God they left my keys so at least I could get home.
So don't call me for a few days until I can get the whole phone thing straightened out.
I don't know how many times I've been out in town and was perfectly safe leaving my jacket on a chair somewhere. And this was a school-sponsored event! WTF?!
Other than the fact someone ripped the buttons right off my Merc jacket and stole my wallet, my cell phone, and even the lipstick/lipgloss I was carrying with me. Thank God they left my keys so at least I could get home.
So don't call me for a few days until I can get the whole phone thing straightened out.
I don't know how many times I've been out in town and was perfectly safe leaving my jacket on a chair somewhere. And this was a school-sponsored event! WTF?!
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